Envelope-machine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

N0. 392,916. Patented NOV. 13, 1888.

z vilbwm W 4 N PETERS, mwumvgn m Washington. a c.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented Nov, 13 1888.

(No-Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 892,916. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

Qwimwey, M jmvewtoz y 42 N4 PETERS. Photo-lithograph". Washingian. 0.6.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4. S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MAGHINE.

N0, 392,91-6. Patented'Nov. 13-, 1888.

lmitwemy (No Model.) 7 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

S. A. GRANT.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 392,916. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

Dmitri/awa @251 auw d (No Model.) 6 SheetsSheet 6.

S. A. GRANT. ENVELOPE MACHINE.

No. 392,916. Patented Novjls, 1888] N PETERS, Phaw-Lllhograprben Walhinaton, o. c,

SIDNEY A. GRANT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.392,916, dated November 13, 1888.

Application filed September 22, 1887. Serial No. 250,403. (Nb model.)

.3 0 aZZ w/tom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, SIDNEY A. GRANT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful- Improvementsin Envelope-Machines,ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to envelope-machines of the reciprocating class, the object being to provide an improved machine of said class which embodies printing or embossing devicesin combination with those for gummi-ng and folding envelopes; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of said devices, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an envelope-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the picker-fingers in a position over the pile of envelope-blanks. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofa part of the frame of the machine, of the platen, the creasers, and picker-separating cam, -the creasers being shownresting on the folding-box, an envelopeblank being shown on the latter in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is aplan view showing the picker-carriage forward in position over the folding-box, showing one end of the frame and delivery-trough broken off, and the drying-chain supports in section. Fig. 5 is aplan View of parts hereinafter described, showingthe picker-fingersspread bythe cam to allow them to pass each side of the platen,the closed position of said fingers being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the blank-holding devices, showing a pile of blanks on the table thereof. Fig. 7 is a perspect-ive view of the folding-table,the foldingwings, and their actuating mechanism. Fig. Sis a-view in elevation at one side of the mechanism for actuating the folder-wings, to be hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 9 is a view of the mechanism at one end thereof. Fig. 10 is a view in elevation of the mechanism for securing the required movement of the type-inking rolls, to be hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 11 is a view in detail, to be hereinafter particularly referred to.

In the drawings, A indicates the frame of the machine, in which is placed in suitable bearings a main shaft, 10, adapted to be rotated by suitable means, as usual.

Theblank-holding devices of the machine consist of a table-frame embodying in its construction the yoke 4,'(see Fig. 6,) the baseplate 7, and the vertical guideposts 3, which rigidly unite said yoke and'base and constitute guides for the blank-table a, through which said posts pass freely. Said table a is supported on the end of the vertical ratchetbar 2, and the latter is given an intermittent upward motion by mechanism as follows: The said blank-holding devices are attached to two arms, 5, and thelatter are hung loosely on a shaft, 32, which runs across the frame A at one end thereof, whereby said devices and blank-table and blanks are capable of having a slight vibratory mot-ion imparted to them, as below described, for the purpose of moving the upper end of the blank-pile against and from the under side of the pickers, whereby the top blank is gummed and separated from those under it, as below set forth. To impart said vibratory motion to said blank-holding devices the base-plate 7 has a connecting-rod, 9, pivotally attached thereto by. one end, and its opposite end is connected with a suitable cam on the main shaft 10. The rotation of said cam imparts a reciprocating endwise motion to said connec'tingrod and causes the said blankholding devices to have a vibratory movement.

An intermittent upward feed of the blanktable a is operated as follows: An elbow-lever, 8, is pivoted to the under side of the base 7, as shown, the short arm J of which extends under said base,and has avertical opening in it, through which said ratchet-bar 2 passes, said opening in arm J having a suitable lining, d, of leather or other suitable material, which presses against the sides of said bar 2 and forms such a frictional resistance between the inner walls (on two or three sides) of said opening in arm J and the adjoining sides of said ratchet-bar (see Fig. 11) as is sufficient to enable the said arm to lift the blank-table and the blanks when said elbow-lever is given a vibratory motion, as below described. A catch-pawl, 12, pivoted on the base 7 opposite the toothed side of the bar 2, engages with .said teeth as the bar moves up and holds the latter and the table ain such positions as they may be raised to by the elbow-lever. By bearing down on the handle of said pawl the operator can let table a drop down. Said elbow-lever 8 has its long arm K engaged in a yoke, 11, rigidly supported on a shaft, 33, running across the machine. The said vibratory motion of the blank holding devices causes a vibratory motion to be given to the, elbow-lever 8, whereby the end of its arm J has areciprocating motion in the direction of the length of the ratchet-bar 2, and thereby the latter, table a, and the blanks are moved upward, the said catch-pawl 12 preventing the table from dropping when the arm J moves downward. Theextentof thevibratorymovement of the lever 8 is such as will cause the table to be fed upward only as fast as may be required to keep the top of the-pile of blanks at a given point of elevation, whereby the operation of the pickers, as below described, is assured.

In order to stop the pile of blanks in its upward movement and prevent it from reaching such aheight as mightinterfere with the proper action of the picker-fingers, two stops,-34, are secured to the frame A on the inner opposite sides thereof (see Figs. 1-, 2,4, and 5) and project inwardly and over the upper edges of the yoke 4, so that the blank-pile will strike them when it arrives at its highest allowable position and be there stopped. Said stops 34 are so adjusted that their under sides are slightly above the planeof the lower sides of the picker-fingers when the latter are over the top blank, and thereby the proper contact of said fingers with the blank is assured.

The said envelope-blanks are gummed and picked off from the pile one by one and carried forward over the folding box by mechanism, as follows: The picker-fingers 35 (shown in plan view in Figs. 2, 4, and 5 and in edge view in Fig. 1) are pivoted at one end to the upper side of the picker-carriage 13, on which they are capable of a vibratory motion in a horizontal plane. Said fingers 35 have attached to the under sides thereof two gumming-pads, 25, said pads being under the forward ends of said fingers, as shown in Fig. 1,

and in such positions that they are broughtin' contact with the inner side of the seal-flap 36 of the blank (see Fig. 6) when the pile is elevated, as above described. The side flap, 37, of the blank is gummed by being brought in contact with the gumming-pad 24, which is attached to the under side of the picker-carriage 13. (See Fig. 1.) The ends of said picker-fingers are caused to swing together by the springs 2l,attached to the picker-carriage.

A gum-box, 38, is attached to the machine about centrally between its sides and between the picker-fingers and the folding-box, having a gumming-roller, 22,hung thereon, with which the said pads on the picker carriage and fingers come in contact when the said carriage is moved over it, as below described, and thereby said pads are properly gummed. Said picker-carriage 13 has its ends engaging in a slot, 14, in each side of the frame A, and has a stud, 39, on each end, as shown in Fig. 5, to which are attached the ends of two connectingrods, 40, and. the opposite ends of the latter are connected with the upper ends of two vibratory levers, 15.. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Said levers 15 are pivoted on the outside of the frame, and each has an arm, 41, engaging with a groove in a cam, 16, on shaft lO, whereby said vibratory motion is given thereto and a reciprocating horizontal movement is given to the picker-carriage and picker-fingers.

A bar, 42, extends transversely across the machine between its sides, (see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,) on which is the raised folding box or table 43, a perforation, 1), being made vertically through said bar, and box or table 43, as shown in Fig. 1. Folding-wings c are pivotally connected with the sides and ends of the said foldingtable, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.v Said wings are attached each to a shaft, 44, on which is a pinion, as shown, with which a rack, 45, engages, and a vibratory lever, 46,

having a geared segment on .its end engages with one of said pinions, and thereby the folding-win'gs on the opposite sides of said table are made to swing. Each of said levers 46 is intermediately pivoted to a fixed part of the machine and by its lower end has an engage ment with a groove-cam, f, on the main shaft, whereby it is given said vibratory motion, as will be apparent on reference to Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 7 shows a'perforation through the folding-table, in which a printingplungeroperates to print the envelope-blank while it lies on the table, as below described. The said racks are supported in asuitable inclined position at one end and one side of said table by supports, as shown, in which they slide.

A platen, 47, on a crossbar, 48, is, with a creaser, 18, and a picker-finger cam, 20, (see Fig. 3,) given a vertical reciprocating motion over the folding-table, as follows: Said crossbar 48 has its ends engaging in vertical slots in the frame of the machine, and on the ends of said bar are studs 0, to which are connected the upper ends of connecting-rods 28, which are shown in end view in Fig. 2 and partly in side elevation in Fig. 1. The lower ends of said rods 28 are connected with a cam-groove in the cam-wheel 16, whereby they are given the requisite endwise reciprocating motion. Each of said connecting-rods 28 is supported in upright position or line of movement by a laterally-extending rod, 29, one end of which is pivotally connected to rod 28 and its opposite end is pivoted to the frame at 30.

A creaser-frame, w, isplaced on the platen 47, encircling the latter and havinga free vertical movement thereon. Said creaser-frame has depending therefrom over the folding table the creasers or creaser-blades 18, whose lower ends are brought against the top of said table at the corners only when the platen moves downward.

When said creaser-blades strike the table 43, the platen continues to move downward within the frame to against the top of said table. The said frame to has a slotted upright arm, a, on opposite sides of the platen, and the frame is attached to the latter by a screw passing through each of said slots. The opposite sides of the platen are recessed, as shown at 82, Fig. 3, to permit the creaserblades to retire upward and to enter the sides of the platen in so doing. The said pickerfinger cam 20 is fixed on or is a part of the creaser-frame w, and is of such weight as is required to force the creaser-blades 18 against an envelopeblank that may lie on the foldingtable and hold it in position while the endfolding wings fold over the flaps of the envelope; also, said creasers hold the blank until the platen 47 comes down upon it.

Means for printing or embossing on each envelope while it lies on the table 43 are provided, and are constructed and arranged as follows: A plunger, 49, adapted to have printing or embossing characters secured on its upper end, has a properly-timed vertical reciprocating movement imparted to it by the engagement of its lower end with a suitable cam on shaft 10. (See Fig. l.) Said plunger 49 passes through a suitable support in the machine, its upper end passing through a curvedfaeed inking-table, 50, and through the aforesaid bar 42 and foldingtable 43, the upward movement of said plunger being such as to bring the surface of said printing-characters on its end substantially to a plane with or a trifle above the surface of said foldingtable, so that the impression of said characters may be imprinted upon the face of an envelope held against said table by the platen 47.

An ink-fountain, 51, is supported in the machine, in which an ink-roller, 52, is rotated by suitable connection with the moving parts of the machine. An ink -transferring roller, 53, is hung in two vibratory arms, 54, (one of which is shown in Fig. 1.) An ink receiving and distributing roll, 55, is hung over said roll 52, and said roller 53 is carried by said vibratory arms 54 between said lastnamed rolls-first in contact with one and then the 0ther'--thcreby conveying ink to roll 55. Two typc-inkin g rolls, 56, are carried by a holder-rocky, supported, guided, and springmaintained on the upper ends of suitable vibratory arms, 9, for being held in contact with the curved inking-table 50, said arms 9 being intermediately pivoted, and one thereof is, by its lower end, in engagement with the camgroove'h of a rotating disk on the main shaft,

' as seen in Fig. 10, whereby said inking-rolls ends of two vertical chain-supports, 58, (shown in section in Fig. 4 and partly in side elevation in Fig. 1,) the upper end of said chain being supported on a suitable shaft. (Not shown in the drawings.) Said lower dryingchain shaft, 57, has a ratchet-wheel, 59, rigidly secured thereon, with which the pawl 60 engages. Said pawl is pivotally hung on an arm, 61, which is in turn hung loosely on shaft 57. To the end of arm 61 is also pivotally attached the connecting-rod 62,(see Figs. 1 and 4,) the lower end of said rod 62 having a pivotal eonneetion with the aforesaid rod 29, Fig. 4, whereby it is given an endwise reciprocating motion,whieh actuates the pawl 60 and causes a rotary motion in the shaft 57, thereby moving the drying-chain. The envelopes having been carried around the chain, as usual, are dropped one by one in the receivingbox'26 before a pusher, 63, which is given a reciprocating motion by its connection with the elbow-lever 64, the latter having a rod, 65, attached thereto, (partly shown in Fig. 1,) which rod has a suitable connection with a cam on the main shaft, whereby the lever 64 is oscillated and said pusher is caused to move against the envelopes as they drop from the dryingchain, and push them toward the delivery end of said receiving-box.

The operation of the above-described improvements in gumming, picking up, separating, folding, and delivering envelopes into the dryingchain is as follows: The envelope blanks are placed on. the table a, as shown. The picker fingers and carriage having been forward and in contact with the gummingroller, are withdrawn to a point over the pile of blanks, having their gumming-pads charged with gum, as described.- At this point in the operation the lower end of the blank-holding devices is made to swing toward the main shaft, thereby causing the upper one of the envelope-blanks to be brought against said gummingpads, whereby the side and seal' flaps are gummed. The lower end of said blankholding devices immediately swings from said main shaft, thereby separating the mass of blanks from said upper one, which adheres to the picker fingers and carriage. The picker fingers and carriage now move toward the folding-table, carrying said blank over the latter, and then the platen-cam 20 and creasers descend, the latter moving against the blank on the table, the platen following and resting on the blank. The printing or embossing then takes place, as described. The descent of the platen permits the cam 20 to drop behind the upright posts 19 on the top of the picker fingers, on the ends of which are suitable friction-rolls. \Vhile the platen is down and the printing is being done, as aforesaid, the picker carriage and fingers move back, leaving the blank on said table, and in so moving said fingers are caused to swing apart, as shown in Fig. 5, and to pass around the platen, as there shown, coming together again by the action of the springs 21 before they reach the gum- XIO ming devices, and the carriage and fingers then pass over the latter and become gummed, as aforesaid, said last position being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. The carriage and fingers then move to their point of starting over the blank pile and the operations are repeated. After the printing is effected, as described, the platen moves upward, leaving the creasers bearing on the corners of the blank long enough to hold it in position until the end flaps shall be folded, the end-folding wings remaining on the blank while the creasers retire. As the ,creasers' begin their upward'movement, the

side and seal flaps are folded in and the four folding-wings then open and release the envelope,-leaving itlying on the table, the seal-flapfolding wing being made narrow, so that it will not fold the seal-flap flat, but leave it standing up from the back of the envelope. As the pickerfingers next move forward, the fingers 17 thereon strike under the seal-flap of the envelope lying on said table and push it into the drying-chain.

What I claim as my invention is 1. Blank-holding devices for envelope-machines,consisting ofa yoke,4, hung on a shaft, 32, and secured to a base, 7, by a series of guide-posts, 3, a blank-table, a, interposed between said base and yoke and having a free movement on said posts,a ratchet-bar secured to said table and passing through said base, a pawl on the latter engaging with said bar, a rod connecting said base with a cam, whereby said blank holding devices are given a vibratory motion, and an elbow-lever, 8, having one arm engaging frictionally with said bar and its opposite end engaging in a fixed yoke, substantially as set forth.

2. The picker-carriage 13, capable of a reciprocating horizontal movementin the frame of the machine and having a gumming-pad thereunder, the picker-fingers 35, having gumming-pads thereon pivoted on said carriage and capable of a vibratory movement in the plane of the movement of the carriage, combined with two actuating-levers,15, connected with said carriage, and blank-holding devices, as described, hung in substantially a vertical position under said carriage and fingers and capable of a vibratory motion in a vertical plane, whereby the pile of blanks is moved to- Ward and from said carriage and fingers, substantially as set forth.

3. The picker-carriage 13,- capable of a reciprocating horizontal movement in the frame of the machine and having a gumming-pad thereunder,the picker-fingers 35,having gumming-pads thereonpivoted on said carriage and capable of a vibratory movement in the plane of the movement of the carriage, combined with the cam 20, having a vertical motion over and engaging with projections on. said fingers to open the latter, substantially as set forth.

. 4. In combination with the picker-fingers 35, the envelope-ejecting fingers 17, projecting beyond the ends of said pieker-fingers,substantially as set forth.

5. The folding-table 43, folding-shafts, each having a wing thereon and a pinion on one end, a rack-bar engaging with opposite sides of said pinions,and a vibrating segment-lever en gaging with one of said pinions,combined and operating substantially as set forth.

6. As means for holding the blank while it is printed and creasing the latter, the foldingtable 43, the vertically-reciprocating platen, and creaser-frame having creasers thereon, said platen having a free limited movement in said frame and bearing on said blank, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

SIDNEY A. GRANT.

Witnesses:

H. A. OHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

